Chapter 51: The Bait and the Love Hotel

“…You do have a point.”

Lovelenica pondered for a moment, realizing there was indeed merit in Lucia’s words.

Though her true form was that of a vampire, any damage sustained while in human form was undeniably real. Should she suffer an irreversible hidden injury, her combat prowess in human guise might well diminish.

Ultimately, her human form was the one she needed to protect most diligently.

In contrast, Lucia possessed potent self-healing abilities. Unless the injury was as severe as an amputation or damage to a vital organ, she could recover from anything. Therefore, having her act as bait would significantly lower the overall risk.

“Very well, you shall be the bait then. I will remain close by to protect you.”

After careful deliberation, Lovelenica agreed to Lucia’s proposal. While Lucia’s remarkable healing capabilities were certainly a factor, Lovelenica’s profound confidence in her own strength weighed even more heavily.

Lovelenica was convinced that with her personally guarding Lucia from the shadows, she could intercept the vampire the instant it appeared. She would absolutely not allow the creature to harm Lucia.

“S-Saintess, are we truly going to proceed with this?”

“Yes, as long as Teacher protects me, it will be fine. I trust Teacher’s strength implicitly.”

“Very well.”

The Priestess still appeared quite worried, but Lucia’s resolve was firm. Seeing this, the Priestess had no choice but to concede and proceed with Lucia’s plan.

After a brief discussion of the operational details, the Priestess dispatched someone to arrange lodging for them.

Initially, the Priestess intended to house them within the convent itself. However, Lovelenica found the idea of staying there rather uncomfortable.

Instead, she decided to take Lucia into Cariso City to find a more upscale hotel for their stay.

It wasn’t that the convent’s conditions were poor; in fact, the environment within was quite pleasant.

Yet, to Lovelenica, staying there felt akin to the company dormitories she’d known before her transmigration. While the rooms were private, they lacked en-suite bathrooms.

High-ranking individuals like the Bishop and His Holiness the Pope possessed their own grand residences and rarely stayed at the convent overnight. Only ordinary nuns resided there.

For this reason, Lovelenica preferred to find a more luxurious hotel for Lucia and herself. They certainly weren’t short on funds, and since it wasn’t even noon yet, with the plan not set to commence until midnight, they had ample time.

The two first changed into ordinary clothes within the convent, even removing their identifying crosses to avoid drawing undue attention.

Only then did they depart from the convent’s grounds.

Stepping out from the convent, both women had changed into rather simple dresses and leather boots.

Their newly donned stockings were of the same hues as before: Lovelenica, in her black stockings, exuded an air of cool elegance, while Lucia, in white, radiated a brighter, more cheerful presence.

The area where the church was located lay within Cariso City’s central district, its most commercially vibrant sector. Finding a suitable hotel nearby would be simple.

“Hello, we’d like to book two of your best rooms.”

Lovelenica, her small leather boots clicking softly, entered the hotel lobby. She approached the front desk and began speaking with the attendant.

When the attendant saw that her new guests were two young women, her gaze shifted subtly, becoming momentarily strange. Though it was but a fleeting instant, Lovelenica caught it.

However, Lovelenica paid it no mind. Given their current simple attire, it was only natural for their financial standing to be questioned.

Nevertheless, the attendant’s demeanor remained impeccable; she addressed Lovelenica with utmost respect.

“Miss, our finest rooms are ten gold coins per night. May I ask how many nights you intend to stay?”

“Let’s start with three days.”

Lovelenica wasn’t entirely certain if the plan would unfold smoothly.

If the vampire couldn’t be lured out, or if it managed to escape after appearing, she might need to remain in Cariso City for several more days. Thus, she tentatively decided to book the room for three nights.

“Very well. The total for accommodation will be sixty gold coins.”

Lovelenica nodded, then retrieved a pouch of gold coins from her Sacred Ring and placed it on the counter.

The attendant, with a single glance, knew the pouch contained far more than sixty coins. In truth, she had never doubted the two women’s financial standing from the outset; judging a person’s wealth solely by their outward appearance was clearly an unreliable practice.

The attendant’s surprise stemmed from something entirely different, but of course, she dared not inquire about her guests’ private matters.

Just as the attendant began to count the gold coins in the pouch, Lucia suddenly spoke up.

“Teacher, why did you book two rooms? Wouldn’t it be better if I just stayed with you?”

“Eh? Th-this…”

Lovelenica hadn’t anticipated Lucia having an opinion on such a matter. During her university days, Lovelenica herself had struggled to adapt to shared accommodation, so naturally, she preferred a single room when staying in a hotel.

‘We’re not short on money, so this is fine.’

Having overheard their conversation, the attendant suddenly interjected.

“Miss, the finest room you selected is already a double room. Are you sure you wish to book two separate rooms?”

“Uh…”

‘Wait, wouldn’t booking two rooms mean you earn more? Why are you specifically pointing this out?’

In truth, it wasn’t that the attendant was unwilling to earn more. Rather, as a service professional, she was obligated to clearly explain the room’s conditions to prevent potential complaints later on.

“Teacher, let’s just stay together, alright? It would be good to have someone to look out for each other.”

‘What kind of ‘looking out for’ could possibly be needed in the central district?’ Lovelenica thought. ‘Forget even entering the hotel; if that vampire dared to cause trouble in the central district, Cariso City itself would be more than capable of dealing with it.’

Though Lovelenica grumbled inwardly, seeing Lucia’s expectant gaze, she ultimately relented.

“Alright, fine. We’ll take just one room then.”

“Understood. That will be thirty gold coins in total.”

The attendant swiftly counted out thirty gold coins, placed the remainder back into the pouch, and returned it to Lovelenica.

She then handed Lovelenica a silver key.

“Your room is on the fourth floor, Room 413. Please keep the key safe; a lost key will incur a compensation fee. The hotel will provide you with breakfast and dinner. We hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Mm.”

Lovelenica took the key and led Lucia up to the fourth floor, where they quickly located Room 413.

However, the moment they stepped inside, Lovelenica sensed that something was amiss.

The room was predominantly pink. Though advertised as a double, it featured only one large bed, and even the carpet was pink, adorned with numerous heart-shaped stickers.

Furthermore, bouquets of roses decorated every corner, and most bizarrely, there was a heart-shaped pink bathtub, draped with translucent sheer curtains.

‘This is wrong… incredibly, undeniably wrong!’

“T-Teacher… this is…”

Although Lucia had been rigorously trained within the church since childhood and wasn’t typically concerned with such matters, she had heard plenty of gossip from Imeline.

Through Imeline’s influence, she had gleaned a general understanding of certain things.

“No!”

Lovelenica hastily tossed the key to Lucia and bolted out of the room with incredible speed.

She then carefully examined the hotel’s facade, only to uncover a startling truth.

“No! Why is this a love hotel?!”